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Despite past criticism, Trump says he and McConnell are 'closer than ever before’

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Updated: 2:49 PM EDT Oct 16, 2017

Despite past criticism, Trump says he and McConnell are 'closer than ever before’

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Updated: 2:49 PM EDT Oct 16, 2017

Despite past criticism, Trump says he and McConnell are 'closer than ever before’

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Updated: 2:49 PM EDT Oct 16, 2017

WASHINGTON —

President Donald Trump said Monday he feels "closer than ever before" to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a man he's publicly criticized for his handling of the GOP agenda and on whom the President is relying for getting a legislative accomplishment in the first year of his term.

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The president and McConnell have been at odds lately over the Senate's inability to pass a repeal and replace plan for Obamacare.

McConnell says he and Trump “have the same agenda” and pushed back against the notion that the two are at odds. The Kentucky senator says he and the president are working on the budget, a tax overhaul and a funding bill to address the recent spate of hurricanes.

"Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done," Trump tweeted in August. "Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!"

McConnell has declined to publicly respond directly to the President, instead telling reporters that he isn't a fan of the "daily tweets."

"I've been pretty candid with him and all of you that I'm not a fan of the daily tweets," he said earlier this year.

The president touched upon a variety of topics during the impromptu Rose Garden press conference, including health care, tax cuts Hillary Clinton and the NFL anthem protests. Trump said he hopes that Clinton makes another presidential run in 2020.

Trump also denounced the investigation into his campaign’s involvement with Russia, being conducted by a special counsel and GOP-led congressional committees.

“The whole Russia thing was an excuse for the Democrats losing an election,” Trump said.

“There has been absolutely no collusion ... they ought to get to the end of it” because people are sick of it, Trump said.

Earlier in the day, Trump defended his former top adviser, Steve Bannon, who is now threatening all-out political war on McConnell and establishment Republicans, including incumbent senators. But the president also suggested he might try to talk Bannon out of some of his threats against Senate Republicans whom McConnell pledged to defend.